Genetics:The Pup
by silverscorpio11
Summary: AU. Cerberus experimentation with genetics beyond simple cloning and reconstruction. This is how a few such experiments would impact the lives of the Normandy Crew.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect. Bioware does.

This story is very AU. I decided to add a new character in an attempt to expand Cerberus's experiments even more...and to show how these experiments would affect the Normandy crew. This story will be rated M for violence, language, and adult themes (though that will be much later.)

Italics are thoughts.

This story will switch between character POV's occasionally.

* * *

Chapter One: Sorting the Wings

**Faolan POV:**

Faolan let out a soft huff of breath and froze. She felt the need to gasp for air warring with her fear of the Banshee finding her. Her muscles screamed in agony at being tensed too hard for too long. The carnifex in her hand felt like it was getting increasingly heavy to hold any longer; the barrel of it shaking violently just inches from the ground.

An ear splitting wail sounded on the other side of the room, and she flinched hard enough to let the pistol's tip tap against the ground. She bit the inside of her cheek and tasted blood, praying that the Banshee had not heard it. She could feel it more than hear it step closer. She squeezed her thin fingers tightly around the carnifex, trying to steady herself if it moved around her meager cover of crates. Its loud breathing sent a thrill of fear and anticipation coursing through her.

But just before it moved around the cargo crates, a sharp rapport of rifle fire sounded from the hallway. It was followed by the cannon like boom of a heavily modified shotgun, and indistinct voices yelling orders. She couldn't tell if they were Cerberus operatives or Alliance personnel; both groups had been swarming the base and engaging each other as well as the Reaper forces.

The dark haired girl flinched again as the Banshee let out a gleeful sounding scream. She could feel it warp to the door, and she peeked around her cover to see its misshapen body warp down the hall. Once it was gone, she let herself suck in several deep gulps of air. Her hands slowly quit shaking as the voices down the hall screamed in terror at the Banshee. She squeezed her eyes tightly. If it was Cerberus, they could die slowly for all she cared. And if it was Alliance, she hoped they killed it quickly.

As the gunfire picked up rate, she took a last deep breath and opened her eyes. She had to finish her task.

* * *

Being in the overhead ducts for the past few hours was wearing her out. As she passed from D Wing into I wing, she paused as a whooping yell sounded above the gunfire, "C'mon, Shepard! Person with the lowest kill score buys the others' drinks!"

"How can you two keep score?!" an exasperated, husky yet feminine voice interrupted Shepard's response.

"Very easily, Li," a third voice laughed, "Just count out loud so you don't lose your place."

"You two are giving away your positions, and- Goddess, you two are incorrigible!"

Faolan wrinkled her nose in confusion. She had heard the name Shepard a few times from some of the Cerberus scientists. But they had all said she was dead. Maybe this was a different Shepard. When the first, rough voice yelled about destroying damn Cerberus troops, Faolan decided to mull it over later and increased her pace, using the sound of the firefight to muffle her frantic scrambling.

"_Okay, so the Alliance has three wings purged. Cerberus is bunked down on the northwestern part of the base."_ Faolan thought as she peered out of a small grate into the room beyond where Shepard was fighting. "_And the Husks are swarming this room. And the next room." _She shifted to lay on her stomach, wincing as it gurgled faintly. With a tired sigh, she moved a few feet down the duct, pausing at the gaping hole caused by a gas leak explosion.

She inhaled silently and counted to ten in time with her breaths. Her ears twitched at the whimpered moans from the Husks. She gripped her pocket knife in her right hand, and gently tapped the cloaking trigger on her belt. Then, as silently as possible, she eased herself out of the duct and into the room.

She immediately pressed her back against the nearest wall, her knife the only comfort. Around her milled the agitated Husks, nearly at a frenzy from the sound of gunfire in the next room. She stood still, barely breathing. If she hadn't time this right-

WHOOSH! The door across the room slid open, and a woman covered in tattoos charged in, throwing Husks about with a laugh. The Husks rushed to the door, and Faolan dropped to a crouch to dash to the other side of the room. She pressed her back against the wall beside the door just as Shepard and an asari came through, both firing pistols nonstop. The redheaded woman took a step back and to the side, and Faolan quickly slid along the wall to avoid contact.

When the commander stepped forward again, she looked up and grinned. The open duct was right above her. Using the firefight as cover for her noise, she jumped and grasped the edge of the opening, wincing as the metal sliced into her palm. She pulled herself up, frantically praying Shepard did not step back again and bump into her dangling legs. With a grunt of pure determination, she willed her aching arms and hand to pull her into the duct. She had made it around the bend in the duct just as her cloak dissipated and the gunshots stopped. She paused, unwilling to let her movements attract attention. As she waited, she inspected her palms; torn ragged and bleeding profusely. She gingerly applied the last of her medigel, not registering the quiet voices in the room below.

**Shepard**** POV:**

Commander Shepard shipped her pistol and stepped back to lean on the wall, a happy remark on the tip of her tongue when a bead of wetness splashed against her cheek. She flinched and stepped to the side, looking above her. There, gaping into blackness, was an open duct with blood clinging to the lip.

"_Human_ _blood_," she thought, absently reminding herself that the modified Cerberus troops now had a bluish black blood, similar to the Reapers.

"Hey, Liara," she called the asari to her, who was followed closely by Jack. "Where do these ducts lead?"

Liara raised a curious brow but said nothing as she activated her omnitool.

"What's wrong, Shepard?" Jack asked, a bored look on her face.

Shepard showed the smeared blood on her fingers. "I don't think we are the only humans on the base."

"Well, shit," Jack grunted and let her biotics fill her hand. "Should I knock the ducts down?"

Shepard shook her head, "No, I want to know why they didn't attack us."

The pony-tailed woman scoffed. "Crazy as ever, Shepard."

"Commander," Liara interjected, "the ducts lead to the main storeroom, three wings away. The whole wing is pretty secure."

"Hmm," the commander ran a hand through her hair, grimacing at the gore in it. "Jack, go find Garrus and stay with his team. You need to eat something; replenish your stamina. Tell Tali to meet me and Liara here."

The tattooed biotic nearly made a remark, but merely scoffed at the look Shepard gave her. She turned and stalked out of the room, muttering about pushy soldiers as Liara and Shepard rested against the wall.

**Faolan POV:**

Faolan had carefully navigated through the broken ducts and rooms, finally making it to the last duct before her room. She eased a pocket knife from her cargo pants and eased it into the corner of a grate. She jiggled it as quietly as possible while twining her fingers as best as she could through the slots. When she had the second corner free, she jerked it away from its place and set it to the side. She slid out of the duct and landed in a crouch, waiting a heart beat before straighting. As she did, hands tightly grasped her legs and pulled.

* * *

**A/N:** This story will be revolving around Faolan, a young girl at the age of 12 at the start of this story. Most of the Normandy crew will make appearances. Shepard, Liara, Garrus, Tali, Miranda, and Jack will have the most appearances. I have a general idea of how this story will progress, however some of those things may change. I'm going to try and keep the story as consistent as possible. Some of the key story quests will appear in here, but they will be altered, as will the eventual ending. I will try to update this story as much as possible.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect. Bioware does. I do own Faolan.

* * *

Chapter Two: Saving Them

**Faolan POV:**

Faolan nearly fell over, but righted herself with a palm against the wall. She looked down at the tiny body clinging to her, a soft smile on her face. "Mila," she greeted, ruffling the girl's dark auburn hair affectionately. Then her eyes flicked to her best friend, Grayson. "No breaches?"

"None," he shook his head. "What took you so long?"

"Nearly got caught by a Banshee."

"Christ," he whispered as the younger children crowded around them.

She responded just as softly with a simple, "Yeah."

A few heart beats later, she ushered the children back to the corner with their makeshift beds. She tucked them all in, muttering a few gentle words of encouragement and love. When all of the children were comfortably nestled down, she motioned for Grayson to follow her so they would not be overheard.

"We can't stay here, Alpha," he said tersely before she could begin.

"I know," she ran a hand through her messy, dark brown hair. "But I don't know where else we can go. From what I saw, the labs are overrun with Reapers. D Wing is where most of the Cerberus goons are bunkered down. The Alliance soldiers have already swept through wings F, G, and H. They were going through I when I headed back. Everywhere else is pretty much clogged with them fighting each other. I don't see how we could get the kids down to the hangar where the Alliance is. We'd have to go through C Wing, but it's crawling with Husks."

"What about going through the ducts?"

"To the hangar? It wouldn't work. I had to get out of the ducts in several spots where they've been torn from the ceiling or had holes blasted in them. It was hell getting back. And we wouldn't be able to protect the kids effectively in an open area. The only reason I was able to get through was the cloaking device."

"Shit. What do we fuckin' do then?" he growled, grabbing her arm tightly and shaking.

She looked up at him, surprised at his burst of violence. "Gray," her voice was low and steady, "let go of me."

He glared at her, face drawn and vein pulsing at his temple under the thatch of blond hair. He slowly let his arm fall back to his side. "I'm sorry," he grunted.

Keeping her body still, she nodded and sighed. "It's a lot of shit, I know. But what can we do? Even if we decided to risk no cover, we only have two pistols….and maybe seven clips. We'd all be dead before we could get halfway through the wing."

"So, that's it, huh?" his voice was calm and emotionless.

She turned to him, a warm hand resting on his elbow. Looking up at him, she studied him for a few moments, as though she needed to memorize him.

At 17, Grayson was taller than her, but deferred to her since he lacked the will to lead. His light blond hair sat in a messy halo about his head, and fell into slate gray eyes.

"Maybe the Alliance will get here before anyone else. If we stay put, we can pick off anything that comes into the room."

He frowned, eyes narrowing before he turned his back to her. "Maybe," he repeated and stalked off to take point at the crates nearer the door.

She sighed, rubbed at the back of her neck. Steeling herself, she followed him and sat down beside him on the crates. "I can take first watch if you need to sleep," she said lowly.

He grunted and jerked his head.

"Gray," she slapped the back of her hand against his arm lightly, "c'mon. It's not _that_ bad."

He looked at her, gaping. "Not that bad?" his voice broke on the last word. "What the hell is wrong-"

"Shepard is here," she cut off simply.

"...what?"

"Commander Shepard. She's here with her crew."

"I thought she died? Like, three years ago."

"I did too. But here she is."

He tugged at the hem of his shirt, eyes barely focused. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

He sighed and leaned back. "It doesn't change anything."

She snorted and flicked his ear, making him bat at her. "It changes a lot. Shepard could save us."

Glaring at her, he swiped at her head; a small smile tugged at his lips as she stuck her tongue out at him. "Whatever," he scoffed.

She grinned at him, a decidedly wolfish grin. "You're just mad I got to see her."

"Whatever," he grunted again.

They sat there quietly. Every now and then a far and distant gunshot could be heard. After a while, Faolan, exhausted from her journey through the ducts, began to nod off.

Grayson leaned over, gently shaking her shoulder. "Hey, Alpha, go to bed. I've got first watch."

He watched in amusement as she stumbled to her feet, eyes barely open. She moved to lean on him for a few moments, arm slung around his shoulders. "I love you, big bro."

A dull ache filled his chest. He gave a tight smile. "Technically, you're older than me. They just sped up my aging process for kicks."

She cuffed the back of his head gently. "Whatever," she scoffed in a good imitation of him. "Fine. I love you, lil bro."

He ducked his head. "Love you, too, Alpha."

A sleepy smile stole across her face. "Don't forget to wake me up." She tripped over to her matt, nuzzling against the limp pillow. She didn't hear him whisper, "It doesn't change anything."

* * *

**Faolan POV:**

A searing pain lancing through her face made her jerk awake. She grit her teeth, barely able to suppress the scream, and she cradled her left cheek in her palm, blood oozing thickly between her fingers. Tears of pain clouded her vision, but she could clearly hear a gun going off, once….twice…three times.

The children were screaming.

Faolan shook her head, dashing the tears from her eyes with her right hand. She could dimly see Grayson standing over Jeremiah, pistol pointed at the boy paralyzed in his bed.

"NO!" she bellowed as he fired.

Fighting back a wave of nausea, she groped for her gun, grasped it, and staggered to her feet. Grayson ignored her movements, and steadily turned to Mila, huddled in a corner and crying.

"Grayson!" she yelled, aiming at the back of his head, "What the hell are you doing?"

"They're in the wing, Alpha," he said simply, not turning to look at her.

"Who?" she gasped out, a wave of fear nearly making her turn to the door. She could easily hear gunfire in a far hall outside.

"Reapers…Cerberus….Alliance, does it matter? They'll all kill us. Better to die quickly than be torn apart slowly by the Reapers. Or experimented on by Cerberus or the Alliance."

"Are you fuckin' serious?" She shook her head, slightly unfocused from the pain throbbing in her face. "Gray, don't do this. God, please don't do this."

"God has abandoned us," he said and raised his pistol to Mila. "I'm saving them."

Before either he or Faolan could pull the trigger, a tan and yellow blur slammed into his side making him drop his pistol. Emil had thrown his body against the older boy, and they were both in a stunned heap on the floor.

Faolan grunted in pain as she shipped her own pistol, quickly moving to the fallen pair. As she neared them, Grayson rolled to the side, kicking his legs at the younger teen as he scrambled for his gun. He caught him in the chest, sending him back a few feet.

But before the boy could grab his gun, Faolan was on him, fists pounding into his face. He brought his arms up to protect himself, trying to shift to his side. She brought her full body weight down onto his ribs as he did so; grunting at feeling a few ribs crack under her knees. A flailing arm smacked her on the injured side of her face, nearly making her black out in pain. She lost her balance, falling off him and curling her hand protectively against her cheek.

"Grayson, stop!" she gasped out.

"Fuck!" Grayson growled, kicking her in the stomach. She let out a huff of air, curling in on herself. Using the position as cover, she grasped her pocket knife. When he moved to kick her again, she lashed out, stabbing him near the knee.

He fell with a scream, pulling his knee to his face. Faolan lurched to her knees, a sense of vertigo nearly toppling her again. In the background, the gunfire was getting closer, and Mila was sobbing hysterically. She shuffled closer to Grayson, a low growl erupting from her throat. She began to lay into him, fists smashing his face. He fought back just as fiercely, catching her several times on her face and ribs.

As they grappled on the floor, she could feel her anger mounting. Mila was in the background, sobbing. Emil was trying to calm her. Grayson had done this. Grayson had tried to kill her. Grayson had killed most of her kids. She let out a howl of fury at the thought. Her fists came down with more force. As soon as she had an opening, she lunged forward, sinking her teeth into as much of his neck as she could get. He let out an ear piercing shriek and beat at her face.

She snarled against his skin, blood rushing into her mouth. She bit down harder, shaking her head hard back and forth. Her sharp canines sunk into his jugular. She ignored the pain in her face; too preoccupied by the beating of her heart against her ears.

When his movements slowed to a near stop, she released him. She ignored his hands grasping for her and stepped away. Her chest heaved. She slowly popped her knife open. With a near inaudible sigh, she knelt next to his head.

Grayson's slate gray eyes met hers. They were proud and sad. There was a glint of madness that she had missed earlier. She touched his forehead gently, unable to understand the words that gurgled from his throat with blood.

"You went rabid, Grayson," she whispered, throat raw. "I'm sorry." She went to drag her blade across his throat, but stopped as an authoritative voice hollered from the doorway. "Drop your weapon!"

The young girl turned, but kept her blade on his throat. Her eyes met the emerald ones of Commander Shepard. "Drop your weapon!" she repeated. Faolan bared her bloody teeth at her. "I'm sorry, Commander," she said, just barely loud enough to be heard. "He needs to be put down."

"Wait-"

"He's already dying. His jugular was severed," Faolan said loudly. "I need to put him down." And without further hesitation, she dragged her knife through his throat.

* * *

**A/N: **So Faolan completed her task, determining what was going on in the different parts of the base. She returned to her group. To understand, Faolan and Grayson are half siblings. She was born before him by a year. When she was eight and he was seven, the scientists sped up his aging to put him five years ahead of her...physically. Mentally, he still seems younger because there is a lot of development between the ages of seven and twelve that is connected to our body development that he missed out on. Mila is the only other child who is genetically linked to Faolan. The others she treated as hers because she was the oldest and looked out for them.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect. Bioware does. I do, however, own Faolan, Mila, and Emil.

* * *

Chapter Three: Sneak Peak

**Faolan POV:**

Faolan could feel the tears burning in her eyes as she leaned to rest her forehead against his. All of her anger had seeped out just as quickly as his blood. She barely registered her own heavy breathing or the sound of armored feet approaching.

A small, choking sob is what made her get back up and wipe her blade on Grayson's pants. She moved slowly towards Mila and Emil still huddled in the corner. She kept her back to Commander Shepard, unwilling to acknowledge her presence. Once she reached the children, she gently scooped Mila into her arms as she made a low humming keen in the back of her throat. The little one grasped onto her almost painfully and burrowed into her body as close as possible. Her shaking broke Faolan's heart more than Grayson's betrayal.

Keeping an arm around Mila, she reached out and pulled Emil to her side. A sick feeling of pride swelled in her at his bravery. But she knew she needed to speak with the commander. So instead of saying anything to the younger teen, she stood to face Shepard, placing Emil slightly behind herself and turning to shield Mila as much as possible.

She inclined her head slightly, respectfully. Her blue-gray eyes met the taller woman's without fear. "Commander."

Dark red eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You know who I am?"

"Yes."

The commander frowned thoughtfully, one hand drumming against her thigh. "You were the one crawling around the ducts."

Faolan twitched in surprise, letting her eyes widen before her training kicked in to school her face to indifference. "I was, Commander." She paused before her curiosity got the better of her and she blurted out,"But how did you know?"

The older woman slowly shipped her pistol and let her stance relax. "Blood, I'm guessing yours," she motioned to Faolan's bandaged hands, "dripped on me from a duct."

Faolan felt a frown tug at her lips. She had been careless. She barely suppressed a shudder of dread at the punishment she would receive before remembering that her owners had no more power over her. Instead, she kept her face impassive.

"The thing I don't understand," Shepard continued, "is why you didn't attack me or my squad."

"I had no reason to."

"Aren't you Cerberus trained?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I agree with them," she responded, a hard edge in her voice making Shepard quirk an eyebrow.

"Why?"

Faolan snorted and shifted Mila in her arms. She let herself relax and gestured to the kids littering the ground. "As far as Cerberus is concerned, we are little more than animals. Animals to be trained and used to impress upon the galaxy the full might and potential of the human race. That's exactly what the program director of this facility bragged about when using us as lab rats. Every single one of us is a different genetic mutation based on former experiments. It hardly endeared any of us to their cause."

Shepard nodded and sighed. "Do any of you have families to go to?"

Scoffing, the dark haired girl ran a soothing hand down Mila's back. "We have no families. Each of us was designed and created here."

"Shit," Shepard swore softly, running a hand through her seat dampened hair.

Before she could ask anything else, a tinny voice called from the doorway, "Shepard, you bosh'tet! How could you run off like that without backup!?"

Shepard turned and in the doorway stood an angry quarian and a wary asari. Faolan felt herself tense up again, but forced herself to relax as Shepard waved them forward.

"Tali," Shepard greeted, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. "I was, you know, distracted?"

The quarian snorted, her hands on her hips as she glared up at the commander. "Just don't do it again. At close range, you can't hit anything. How you are an expert with snipers I will never know."

Shepard groaned and threw her head back. "It was one time, Tali! One time!"

"Shepard," the asari interrupted their banter softly, "I am sorry, but who are they?"

"Oh," the commander turned back around. "I didn't get your name, kid."

"Faolan," she said, her eyes moving from the taller woman, quarian, and asari. She let her eyes linger on the asari before snapping back to the commander almost guiltily. "The little one is Mila, and this here," she pulled the boy to her side, "is Emil."

Shepard nodded and turned to her crew. "This is Tali," she pointed at the quarian and then she jerked her thumb to the asari, "and this is Liara."

The two older kids nodded slightly, but Mila refused to look at them, her face hidden in the crook of Faolan's neck.

"Goddess," Liara breathed out, looking about the room before her horrified blue eyes scanned Faolan. "Shepard, what happened?"

"I'm not sure myself," Shepard said softly. "Faolan?"

She moved to set Mila down, but the girl clung to her almost painfully. With a slight sigh, she started to move to the other corner of the room, away from the bodies. "Commander, is the hallway secure?"

"It is, as are the surrounding hallways," the asari spoke up as she and Tali stowed their weapons. She moved cautiously towards Faolan. "Please, let me attend to the wound you have."

The girl shook her head, and winced as the pounding in her face brought itself back to the forefront of her thoughts. "I'll be fine."

"You have a hole in your face!" the asari retorted sharply, and moved towards her once again. Beautiful blue eyes flashed brightly. Neither of them noticed the looks of surprise from Shepard or Tali.

And once again, Faolan shook her head. The thought of the asari touching her made her stomach writhe. And she felt disgusted by herself for letting Cerberus cloud her thoughts. _"But I also thought her eyes were beautiful,"_ she mused to herself; the snakes in her stomach knotted even more.

"Liara," Shepard said, clasping her arm gently, "let her talk first if she wants."

Liara glared at the commander, words kept at bay by the stern look on the woman's face.

Faolan nodded absently in thanks and sat atop one of the crates, moving Mila around to a more comfortable position. Emil sat behind her, letting his forehead rest against the middle of her back.

Once she was settled, she looked up at the adults who had decided to remain standing. "We were in the training facility down the hall when the Reaper forces hit. The overseers locked us in." She hesitated before continuing, "Grayson and I broke through the door and brought the kids here. More cover. We've been here ever since."

"Why were you crawling through the ducts?"

"To see everyone's postions. We had a short wave radio in here. We heard when the Alliance showed up. After it died, I needed to make sure our position was not close to being compromised, and I had to try and find a way to the hangar. But Grayson…Grayson didn't think we would make it."

Faolan stopped and curled her arms more protectively around Mila. She let her gaze rove around the room, unknowingly refusing to look at Liara. "When I got back, he was angry. I told him what the situation was in the facility. I told him I saw you. I told him there was a chance you would make it to us before Cerberus or the Reapers. He thought differently. He believed the Alliance would continue the experiments on us that Cerberus had done. And that is if we were found by you first. He decided it wasn't worth the risk, and that it was better to spare us from being captured."

"Keelah" Tali breathed.

And Faolan laughed hollowly. "Yeah," she agreed, her voice dark and bitter. "He shot me in the face while I was sleeping. Before I could move, he shot the others. Emil tackled him before he could shoot Mila. And then I killed him."

No one said anything. She could feel the sharp, deep throb of pain in her face with every heartbeat. Mila had soaked the front of her shirt with unending tears. Emil had gripped the bottom of her shirt to try and stop from shaking.

She looked up at them, studying their horrified and pitying eyes. The asari's eyes held hers for several minutes.

"Fuck," Shepard grunted, again running her hand through her hair. None of them knew what to say.

"Mila," Faolan said softly, happy to note the girl was no longer sobbing. "I need to put you down, ok? I have to get this wound cleaned." At her words the girl had stiffened up. She rubbed her back soothingly. "I'll hold you as soon as I'm done, sweetheart. But I really need to fix it. Do you want Emil to hold you?" At the nod against her collar, she turned to Emil. He silently held out his arms.

Once she was certain Mila was ok with Emil, she scooted off the crate and stepped towards the asari who was rummaging through the pocket inside her armored coat. She felt the uncomfortable wriggling of nerves in her stomach again, and for some odd reason tried to fight a blush threatening to cover her face. To try and hide it, she ran her hand through her hair several times, keeping her face downturned from Liara.

When she finally looked up, she felt herself stiffen in surprise. The asari was more than head and shoulders taller than her. Freckles dotted her upper cheeks, and purple lips were pulled into a concentrated frown. Pure blue eyes regarded her solemnly. "This will hurt quite a bit," Liara said gently, raising a hand to Faolan's face.

She could feel her stomach tie in knots in apprehension. She couldn't tell if it was from anticipating the pain, or because it was the asari about to touch her. _"A gorgeous asari," _she thought fleetingly as those blue eyes held her in place.

At the first touch of the medi-gel against her face, she gasped. The already throbbing flesh was almost unbearable, but the sting of medi-gel added to it made her eyes roll back as she crumpled to the ground.

* * *

**A/N: **Yay, Faolan has finally met Shepard and some of her crew. For those of you who are wondering, Shepard keeps Liara from tending to Faolan's wound right away because the girl intrigued her. She has an obvious gunshot wound to the face but is still standing as if nothing had happened. She's curious as to why the girl hasn't gone into shock, especially after Faolan admits to having gene modification done. Plus, it's blatantly apparent that Faolan sees herself as a warrior, and Shepard (having witnessed the fight between her and Grayson) decided to respect her knowledge of self limitation.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Mass Effect. Bioware does. I do own Faolan, Mila, and Emil.

* * *

Chapter Four: Confusion

**Liara POV:**

Liara's heart jumped into her throat as the girl fainted in a heap. She dropped to her knees, immediately checking the girl's pulse. When she found it, she let out a breath she had not realized she was holding. She was only vaguely aware of one small voice sobbing in the background as a slightly deeper one shushed her.

Moving her hand, she cradled Faolan's head; her mind was racing as quickly as her heart. When Shepard kneeled down next to her, she hunched over the girl, and a small growl erupted from her throat. "Move back," she ground out, everything in her screaming at her to protect, to not let anyone touch Faolan.

Shepard held up her hands in surprise and motioned to the unconscious girl the asari was holding. "Liara, I just want to help." The asari's body moved closer to the girl. The need to cover her was almost overwhelming. She could not even muster enough fight to wonder why she was acting this way.

She narrowed her eyes at Shepard. "Do not move…please," and her unoccupied hand moved back to the girl's pulse. It was strong and steady. Liara's mind eased at the reassuring beat. She could focus now that she knew for sure the human girl would be ok. And it hit her just how confusing her response was.

She took a steadying breath. She could analyze her reaction later. "Shepard, please, grab her legs. We need to lay her out so I can finish applying the medi-gel. Tali," she glanced at the quarian who had remained still, "could you grab a few of the blankets? Preferably ones that are not too terribly stained."

She glanced back at her commanding officer who was gently grasping Faolan's legs. She nodded after shifting to get a better hold, and they carefully straightened out the girl on the floor. Tali stepped next to Liara's shoulder seconds later, not sure if she would be welcomed closer to the human.

Liara nodded her thanks, her brow creased as she visually inspected Faolan for any new injury. Once she was satisfied, she tenderly placed one blanket under the young girl's messy dark hair before covering her with the rest.

"_Goddess, she looks so frail," _Liara thought, her heart beating against her ribs harshly. _"I cannot remember ever being as frightened as when she hit the ground." _She bit her lip as she gingerly applied the medi-gel. Now that she could think clearly, her actions more than puzzled her. A quick peek at Shepard confirmed that her friend did not know what to make of it either.

Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes and exhaled as slowly as possible. Her hand moved through dirty strands of hair absently. "Shepard….Tali, I am…sorry. I am not sure why I reacted that way."

Tali nodded silently and shot a look to Shepard before moving to the door, muttering about checking the hallway. After the quarian had moved out of ear shot, the redheaded woman shrugged her shoulders. "It's ok, Liara. It's been a long week. With this…mess on top…kids...maybe you've got good maternal instincts…" she trailed off as Liara shook her head.

"That is highly unlikely. I am still early in my maiden years. It is normally only matrons who feel maternally." Before Shepard could interrupt, Liara went on to explain, "Yes, asari may feel protective towards others, but maidens are generally more…..selfish. It is why so many employ as dancers and mercs. They want to enjoy themselves. It is usually matrons who become commandos and law enforcers." She hesitated before continuing almost shamefully and so quietly that Shepard could barely hear, "And I do not feel the same urge to protect the other two children. Nor have I felt the need to protect anyone, even my friends, so fiercely before."

Shepard frowned, and Liara felt her heart shrink in shame. But then Shepard gave her a small smile. "It's ok, Liara. For one, you've never been a typical asari. And secondly, you shouldn't feel bad about not wanting to protect others as strongly as you obviously do for this kid. I mean, would you still protect the other two if they were in danger? Or me or Tali?"

Liara's eyes widened in surprise and she blurted out louder than she meant to, "Of course I would, Shepard!"

"Well, then stop thinking you're a bad person. Li, sometimes people just click. Like me and you. When I met you, I knew we were going to be tight. Or like me and Tali, she and I clicked immediately and now she's my 'little sister.' And sometimes," she gestured to the girl laying in front of them, "it happens more quickly. I don't know."

Liara touched a hand to her forehead in thought, just as Shepard ran a hand through her hair. "Maybe you are right, though it is still troubling."

"Why troubling?"

Liara sighed, "Because I do not like not knowing things. Especially about myself."

Shepard snorted, and placed a hand over her mouth to stifle a burst of laughter. And instantly blanked her face when Liara looked at her with an unamused lifted eyebrow.

"Sorry, but….creepy, reclusive Shadow Broker? That statement was kinda …well, it was a severe understatement. Everyone knows you're like a varren with a pyjack when there's a mystery in front of you."

"Shepard!" Liara scowled as Tali gave a huff of laughter, having moved back in the room unnoticed. As Liara turned her glare to Tali, who waved at her playfully, Shepard moved to her feet with a groan.

"I'm goin' to check on the other kids. And contact Joker." She placed a comforting hand on Liara's shoulder, "You'll figure it out, Broker."

Liara swatted at Shepard's leg, a smile tugging at her mouth as Shepard dodged with a grin.

Once Shepard and Tali were preoccupied, Liara ran a gentle hand through grimy hair, biting at her lower lip in concentration. Maybe Dr. Chakwas would know something.

* * *

**A/N: **I am so sorry this took so long! Juggling school, work, and other obligations has left me with little time to even sleep. Hopefully, now that things have settled, I'll be able to update more regularly.

So, what's going on with Liara? Who knows. Maybe the good doctor will.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: The Ninth Test

**Four Years Ago**

**Faolan POV:**

Faolan breathed in deeply, willing her hands to stop shaking. They didn't like it when she showed emotion. She exhaled slowly, and she easily moved into a crouch. She was ready.

The light above the door flickered to green before opening. Moving as silently as possible, the girl ran through and moved to the right wall. When she reached a corner, she crouched even lower before peeking around. Both ways were clear, but which should she take? She sniffed experimentally. Nothing. Might as well take the right.

She ran along the wall to another junction. She tested the air again, and she easily picked up the faint stench of fear sweat. To the left.

As she jogged she noticed that the smell was getting stronger. Time to move slower. Her ears twitched as she heard a melodic voice swear violently. She immediately flattened herself against the wall and waited. The voice was maybe thirty feet away. She moved slightly off the wall to side step down the corridor. When she came to an entrance, she strained her ears to hear for her prey. More angry swearing and the bitter smell of fear was almost overwhelming. She quickly peeked around the corner and quietly sniffed before ducking back to flatten against the wall.

Asari. Matron. Commando leathers. Recently gave birth. Favoring left leg. Looking back around, the asari's back was to her. She held a hand to her forehead in thought as she stared at the dead end.

Faolan leaned back, and she quietly returned down the way she came. When she got back to the other corridor, she ran a hand through her hair. Taking a deep breath, she slammed her face against the corner of the hallway, barely grimacing in pain. She punched the wall several time until her knuckles were bleeding. Using her teeth, she shredded the cloth around one arm cuff and the collar of her shirt. She punched herself in the mouth until she felt blood well against her tongue. Once she was sure she was bloodied and bruised, she bowed her head and willed herself to cry. She thought about Grayson, crying against her after his body was forcibly aged. Devon beaten and near death after refusing to kill a drugged salarian. Horatio, shivering and unresponsive after the First Test.

She cried and rubbed at her eyes until they felt raw. Until snot ran from her nose. And then she noisily ran back towards the asari.

She stumbled over her feet as she ran. Made as much noise as possible. And several feet from the asari's dead end, the alien stepped out with a knife raised in her hand. And when she was Faolan barreling towards her, she dropped it and held out her arms; her face was drawn in concern.

Stumbling so the asari would catch her, Faolan clung to the taller being and sobbed. The asari held her, running a soothing hand down her back and making soft noises. After a few seconds, the girl quieted down, and the asari leaned back.

"Goddess, child, are you okay? What happened?"

"I...I -hiccup- my momma, she...she," she broke off with a sob before continuing, "she was hurt by a bad man, and he pulled me into a car. He...he hit me, and when I," she sobbed even harder and the asari pulled her against her body. Faolan shivered at the contact and almost pulled away, shame and disgust almost distracting her. "I woke, woke up, and this guy hit me. But I -hiccup- I bit him and ran. I wa-wa-want my momma!"

The asair looked stricken and held Faolan tightly. She ignored how the girl stiffened, but thought it was because she was a stranger; Faolan however, was surprised at how comforting it was to be held. The asari ran a hand through her hair comfortingly and waited for her sobs to slow. When Faolan had composed herself, the asari gently led her down to the dead end and motioned for her to sit.

"I do not know why we are here, but I will get you out. I do not know who these people are, but they are dangerous and you need to stay close to me. I believe we are in a maze of some kind."

"A maze?"

"Yes, though for what reason I cannot fathom. I awoke here with a note saying if I made my way to the exit, I would be allowed to live. The knife was beside it. I have already encountered a turian. He would not listen to me when I said we should work together."

"Why?"

"People...people do not think when they are scared. Now, what is your name, child?"

"Faolan," she wiped at her face and sniffed.

"Faolan," the asair repeated and gave her a sad smile. She kneeled next to her and motioned to her arm. The girl held it out, and watched curiously as the asari ripped a strip from it. The alien raised the cloth to her nose, her brown eyes were kind as she said, "Blow."

Faolan obediantly blew her nose, wincing as the asari gently touched her face. A mix of disgust and anxiety ran through her. She did not want physical contact with the asari. She hated how her eyes were soft, how her hands where cool and gentle against her skin.

Once the asari had done her best to clean her facial wounds, she stood up and motioned for Faolan to follow her.

"I am not sure what else is in this maze, but you must listen to my directions. I will keep you safe. And you must be very quiet. Can you do that for me, Faolan?"

She nearly cringed away at her name, how it sounded so caring. "She's an alien. She isn't human. She doesn't understand emotion," she repeated to herself. She felt sick at the thoughts.

* * *

As the two traversed through the maze, Faolan watched the asari closely. She studied the way she moved. The way she had complete control of her body. When they came across another alien, she would almost stalk them. Circling and dancing around them to hit crucial areas on the body. Her movements were graceful and deadly. She rarely made noise. And she always made sure Faolan was out of range when she engaged one.

When they were almost near the end of the maze, a turian lunged from a side corridor; he swiped his clawed hand at the asari's head and just barely missed. The asari slid to the side and dropped into a crouch. The knife was held with the back against the flesh of her forearm. The turian, covered in gore, let out a mad cackle before kicking at her. She danced back before lunging forward and sinking the knife in the upper thigh of the leg he had kicked out. He howled and raked his claws against the her face before she had pulled back completely. He grasped at the knife, and when he tried to pull it, she slammed her foot against the blade, making him topple over. She was on him immediately, slamming her fist into his face. She almost didn't see the knife in his hand until it was almost buried in the flesh of her shoulder. She used the last of her biotics to bring up a shield; the force of the impact made him drop the knife. And then she repeatedly slammed her fist and elbows against him until he stopped moving. Chest heaving, she bowed her head. She sent a prayer to Athame for him, and before she could get up, searing pain erupted in her lower back. She screamed and fell forward. Her legs would not move.

"I severed the lower spinal column," a soft, voice informed her as she used her arms to turn over. Faolan stood next to her, bloodied knife in hand.

"Why," she gasped out, unwilling to believe such a young child would do this.

Emotionless blue-green eyes stared at her. And then something flickered in them. "Doctor wants us to learn. And he learns from watching us. It's to make us better."

Black spots danced in front of the asari's eyes. "Better?"

"Yes."

The girl knelt next to her. The flicker in her eyes was sadness, shame, and disgust. She brought the knife up, and made a quick slash against her forearm. Dark red blood oozed and slid down older, similar scars. Her mind hazily counted eight.

"I am...sorry," she whispered and quickly slashed the asari's throat. Behind her the door hissed open. She stood up and sighed. She already knew Doctor was going to punish her. She looked down at the asari. Her kind brown eyes were empty. Her beautiful face looked almost resigned. She was suddenly sad that she had not asked for her name. That confused her more than anything.

* * *

Heavy hands collided with her face five times before a cold, clipped voice told the man to stop.

The Doctor stepped into Faolan's limited line of view. "Why are you being punished?"

"I apologized to her."

A meaty hand collided with her face again. She felt her cheekbone break under the force.

"**IT** was an asari. **IT** was not human," the Doctor's voice was ice sharp. "**It **does not deserve to be called a her. **It** much less deserves to be apologized to."

The assistant began to wail on her face again. She almost blacked out before the Doctor stopped him again. Cold hands lifted her face up. "Faolan," she winced at the gentle voice, "you understand that aliens are not like us. But you are young, and you still use terms you are familiar with to relate to them. But this cannot continue."

The cold hands caressed her face. She felt like throwing up. "You must not relate to them. It is a trick. It is how they break down humans and infiltrate our governments. Even humanity's greatest, a Spectre, has fallen to their disgusting 'charms'."

He gripped her face and forced it to look at him. "And that is why we have you. You will be the one to correct her mistakes. You will make up for her genetic defect. You will live up to her blood."

The hands went back to caressing her face, and then he suddenly applied pressure to her broken bone. She nearly screamed.

He smiled at her self control. "You are my greatest work," he whispered.

Just before the darkness claimed her, she once again saw those kind brown eyes. _"She was beautiful."_

* * *

**A/N: **Ah, the Ninth Test; it was a turning point for Faolan. This test is what pushed her into her mixed emotions over asari. She feels shame, disgust, and _something_ she cannot describe whenever she sees one. She believes it is because she spent so much time being disciplined as they were the one race that she could never stick to the "they are not human" mantra.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: Waiting

**Faolan POV:**

Faolan nearly whimpered as she woke up. Her head felt like it was surrounded by cotton, stuffy and thick. Shaking her head made it worse.

"_That was stupid_," she thought to herself, as she slowly sat up. She was almost terrified of how painful it would be when she finally opened her eyes.

"Faolan," a husky voice whispered to her left. She tensed up and nearly groaned. She knew without looking that it was the asari. Her voice was hard to forget. "_Not surprising she would have a beautiful voice to match her eyes..and face. Shit, why is _that_ the first thing I think of?_"

With a sigh, she slowly blinked her eyes open. She waited for the fuzziness to recede before turning to look at the asari. "I guess it was too much to hope this was all a super messed up nightmare, huh?" she deadpanned.

The asari, "_Liara_," she thought to herself, frowned sadly. It made Faolan feel guilty for putting it there. And confused. "_What is wrong with me?_"

"I am sorry," the blue skinned alien said, her voice low. "I wish you had not gone through all of this."

"Meh. It ain't too different from any other day really," she shrugged, ran a hand through her hair, and leaned away from the asari. Even covered in gore she smelled good. "_Like honeysuckle. Jesus, this needs to stop._"

"Where are Emil and Mila?" she asked, ignoring the way Liara's brows creased in concern at her previous comment.

"They are sleeping behind the crates," she motioned to the wall on their right before continuing, "Shepard and Tali are in the hallway. She had Joker send a squad to escort you three to the ship."

She kept her eyes off Liara as she asked, "Joker?"

"Our pilot."

The girl flinched as slightly calloused fingers brushed the top of her hand. She looked up at Liara in surprise, but before she could say anything, Liara said softly, "Faolan, when we get to the Normandy, you will need to see Dr. Chakwas. She will need to examine you and the others. She will also need to ask you some questions concerning the experiments that Cerberus performed. If you are not...up to speaking to her right away, I can convince her to give you at least a day before being..."

"Interrogated?"

Liara slightly shook her head, "I would not say interrogated, per se."

"But that's what it is. More or less, anyways, right?"

The asari exhaled through her nose, "Yes, but if you are uncomfortable talking with her right away, I will have her put it off."

Faolan felt a rush of gratitude, and quickly beat it down. "_Trick,_" she thought, and then felt another rush of guilt. "_She's a person. She has emotion. She feels_," she thought to herself. She was so caught up berating herself that she did not hear Liara say her name.

And then gentle fingers were on the uninjured side of her face, prompting her to look up into crystalline blue eyes. She froze, and her heart sank at the concern in those blue depths. She felt so confused with disgust, shame, gratitude, surprise, and a slight fluttering in her stomach she chalked up to anxiety, that for several seconds she forgot how to breathe.

"Faolan are you okay? Are you in pain?" the worry in Liara's voice made her chest constrict painfully.

"I'm fine. Just...just distracted." She slowly moved back, not wanting to jerk away from the contact, but not comfortable letting it linger. "But thank you for your concern."

Before Liara could say anything, Shepard clomped back into the room and made a beeline for them.

"Hey, kid," she greeted with a grin, "good to see you up. Feelin' okay?"

"I feel like I had a hole blasted in my face, but you know, it's whatever," she responded with her own grin.

"It must be a human thing, to joke after nearly dying," Liara interrupted them dryly.

"Or a badass thing," Faolan replied, making Shepard snort in amusement.

Liara lifted her eyebrow and glared at Faolan until the girl blushed and looked away. She did the same to Shepard. Once she was sure they were both properly chastised, she got on her feet. "I am going to check on Tali," she said before moving away.

As soon as she was out of ear shot, Shepard plopped down next to Faolan with a sigh. "Not able to stand up to the Liara Brow either? Makes me feel better about myself."

Faolan snorted, and ran a hand through her hair. "Sad a Spectre has to be compared to a twelve year old to make herself feel better."

"Hey, a badass twelve year old," Shepard corrected as she bumped shoulders with the girl.

It made Faolan look up at her with a grin, and they both realized they felt completely at ease with one another.

* * *

Another hour passed before Emil and Mila woke up. Faolan smiled at them softly as the boy sat beside her, and Mila clambered onto her lap.

"Hey," she whispered as she cuddled the girl. "Did you have a nice nap?"

Mila nodded, her red hair sticking up in a few places. "That's good." She looked at Emil, "Are you okay?"

"Good, Alpha."

"Good, because the Commander is going to have us escorted to her ship. We'll have to be frosty."

"Understood."

She eyed him for a minute. "You did real good today, Em."

He flushed and looked at the ground. He didn't respond for several minutes. Faolan didn't mind. She knew he needed time to process.

"What's going to happen to us?" he finally asked lowly.

She sighed. "I'm not sure. But I won't let us get separated."

He didn't look at her, and she nudged him with her elbow until he looked up. "I wouldn't be much of an Alpha without my pack," she grinned at him encouragingly.

Mila nodded against her, "Yeah, Em! Pack stays together."

The dark skinned boy finally smiled, and then leaned over to tweak Mila's nose. "I guess I can stay with you all. Make sure Alpha doesn't get in trouble."

The dark haired girl grinned at him and scoffed. "If you say so, kitten."

"Hey!" he grumbled playfully as Mila giggled. "I'm a _panther. _They're pretty kickass."

Mila gasped and pointed at him accusingly. "You said a swear!"

He pointed his finger at Faolan who widened her eyes. "She says them too!"

Faolan gasped in mock surprise. Her ears twitched as people approached them, but she kept her eyes on Emil. "I do not, you liar! Don't listen to him, Mila. He's trying to turn you to," she lowered her voice and whispered dramatically, "the dark side."

Mila gaped before narrowing her eyes at Emil who sputtered out a weak defense. "Emil! You better say you is sorry! Or I won't talk to you _ever _again!"

Faolan gently tapped the child on the forehead. "You better say you _are _sorry. Not is, darlin' girl."

"You are," she repeated dutifully before turning her accusing green eyes back to Emil who sighed in defeat.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry for saying a swear word. On my honor, it won't ever happen again, Princess Mila."

The little girl nodded her head, "Good," but cringed when someone behind them let out a giggle.

Faolan finally turned to look up at the adults. Shepard and Tali were watching them with amusement. "Guys," she said to the other kids, "This is Commander Jane Shepard and Tali'zorah vas Normandy. They are going to get us outta here."

Mila looked up at Shepard in awe. "You're our-"

"Our savior," Faolan cut off quickly. "Mila, why don't you say hi?"

The little girl waved to Shepard, but she only glanced at Tali warily.

"Mila," Faolan said just loudly enough for everyone else to hear, "remember what I told you? No matter what the Doctor said, he was wrong. Tali has emotions. She isn't an it. She's a person just like me and you."

"Hi," Mila finally said, giving a quick wave to Tali.

"Hello," Tali's tinny voice responded cheerfully. "You're hair is beautiful."

Mila beamed at that and leaned forward. "Your mask is pretty."

"Thank you," Tali chirped and sat in front of them. "It is nice to meet you," she held out a three fingered hand for Mila to examine before gently taking it with her own.

Mila slowly made her way off Faolan's lap to get a closer look at Tali. Faolan felt herself grin as she watched. "_At least she won't struggle with the mantra like I do."_

She glance to Shepard as the taller woman sat next to her. "The squad should be here soon," the woman said softly, her face serious.

"Are we all going back to the ship?"

"No, just you three with a squad."

Faolan quirked her eyebrow at Shepard who tugged at her hair. "A squad?"

"Yup. Liara and Tali are going to be two of the three escorting you back. The two of them need a break. Plus, it lets y'all have some familiar faces."

"Good thinking, Commander."

Shepard grinned and bumped her, "I have good ideas every now and then."

"None of those good ideas include driving off a cliff," Liara said from behind them.

Shepard whirled around and looked at her in shock. "My driving is _not _that bad!" she said with a huff.

"I still have nightmares," Tali said before Liara could respond.

"Same here. Seriously, what must one think about driving a several ton assault vehicle off a cliff?"

"It would be awesome," Shepard and Faolan said at the same time.

They looked at each other in surprise before identical grins crossed their faces.

"Goddess," Liara gasped as Tali cradled her head with a groan, "there are two of them."

* * *

**A/N: **Who doesn't like reminiscing about the mako?


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: New People

**Faolan POV:**

"Shepard!" a deep voice bellowed from the doorway, "Did you leave me anything to kill?"

"Grunt!" Shepard grinned brightly, jumping up and reaching the door in five strides. She playfully bumped her head against his, smiling affectionately when he ducked his head with a grunt of feigned annoyance.

The three children still sitting on the floor watched in a mix of amusement and weariness. As the big krogan began grumbling to himself, Shepard greeted a woman in a tight black suit and a turian in blue armor.

Mila, having stood stock still next to Tali when the krogan entered, gave a small whimper and dove for the quarian's lap. She buried her face in the crook of Tali's neck with her eyes closed. Faolan stood up and moved closer to Tali, tilting her head in a silent question to which Tali gently shook her head no; her hands were carefully rubbing soothing circles on the little girl's back.

Liara's voice sounded softly from Faolan's left shoulder, "Looks like we will be heading to the Normandy soon."

"Good," the shorter girl grunted. "This place smells worse than death." She kept her eyes trained on the newcomers.

"_The krogan is big but young. Easy to provoke, but powerful. The woman is cool, calm. Almost icy. A strategist, and power seems to resonate off her. The turian is graceful, probably good at hand to hand, though his eye piece giving him away as a long range fighter. The scar on his face was terrifying. Good to psych someone out."_

She was drawn from her scrutinizing as Liara brushed a hand against her arm. "None of them will hurt you," her voice was firm and comforting.

The girl shrugged uncomfortably. She could feel her stomach tense at the words. "I doubt Shepard would let them."

"**I **would not let them," her voice had taken a slight edge of steel that made Faolan's heart thud faster. She could feel a hot flush on her face, so she scrubbed a hand against her cheek to try and dispel it.

_"I wish she wouldn't stand so close," _she thought, but couldn't bring herself to move away. She simply nodded, and tried to keep her breathing under control.

After a few seconds of hushed conversation, Shepard finally motioned for her group to move further in the room. "Guys," she said with a slight smile, "this is Grunt, Miranda, and Garrus. The kids are Faolan, Emil, and Mila. They're gonna be staying with us for a while."

"Heh," Grunt gave a toothy smile, "quarian, hand the little one over. She looks big enough to be a snack, and I'm hungry."

Mila burst into tears, and clung tighter to Tali who began to make shushing noises while Shepard slammed her palm against her face.

Faolan, though, let out a snarl as she stepped into the krogan's personal space. Her body was tensed and squared to make herself look bigger. "Back. Up."

Grunt, unable to ignore the challenge, growled back louder, "Move, human."

Before anyone could intervene, Faolan rumbled in her chest, "I said move, lizard."

"Grunt!" Shepard started, but the towering warrior cut her off, "If you don't get out of my face you little pyjack-"

He didn't get a chance to finish before the girl slammed her forehead against his plated one. Caught by surprise, he staggered slightly before she slammed into him again. Rumbling in his chest, he braced his feet and threw a wild punch, catching her in the shoulder and throwing her off balance.

Before either of them could regain their posture, dark energy rooted them to their respective spots. "Enough!" Liara yelled, her biotics rippling around her tall form. The other adults seemed rooted to the spot as well.

"Shepard," her voice was tight as she glowered at her CO, "I thought you were teaching Grunt on how to appropriately interact with humans."

The redheaded woman flinched, and Faolan nearly laughed at the absurdity. "Well, I-"

"Obviously have not been doing so. I suppose I will have to find data pads with the correct social handling when we return to the Normandy." The redheaded woman nodded meekly and Garrus's mandibles flared wildly in suppressed laughter.

"Grunt," the krogan eyed her sullenly, "you should know better than to purposefully scare a child as young as her."

"But, she-"

"Is NOT krogan."

"But, I-"

"I do not care. You are an adult. A warrior. And you let yourself be provoked to anger by a child."

The krogan hung his head dejectedly as the asari turned to Faolan, who couldn't help but wince internally. Those blue eyes were beautiful even when she was angry.

"And you!" Liara stalked closer to Faolan's trapped body. "You could have badly injured yourself!"

"He-"

Fear flashed in the asari's eyes before they raged with anger. "I do not care! Less than three hours ago you were unconscious on the floor. No, he should not have frightened Mila, but you also should not have attacked him!"

"Damn right he shouldn't have scared her like that!" she snapped, righteous anger flooding her. "I'm 'spose to protect her! I-"

Liara got in her face, words hot and loud, "And what would have happened to her if you had passed out again? What would happen to them both if you recklessly took on an opponent who is here to **protect**," she threw a glare at the young krogan, "you because of your pride? Who would protect and comfort them then?"

Faolan felt her eyes widen; as if to emphasize her point, the blood from her now bleeding forehead dripped into her eyes. It burned less than the shame that coursed through her.

Liara closed her eyes and took in a calming breath. The room was filled with an anxious quiet. She slowly let the dark energy fade away. "Apologize to each other," she said firmly, letting them move.

Keeping her eyes down, Faolan stepped forward, hand raised for him to grasp.

He turned his head to the side petulantly. After a couple of seconds, Liara narrowed her eyes and warp slapped him in the back of the head, "Grunt."

The lumbering giant scowled, but finally took the offered hand. They nodded and stepped away.

Faolan shuffled her feet nervously, refusing to look at Liara.

"Well," Shepard finally drawled out, "aren't teenagers fun?"

* * *

**Liara POV:**

"Ouch!" the short haired girl said, squirming to try and move back.

"Hold still, please," her voice was firm as she applied medi-gel to the top of Faolan's forehead. "I cannot believe you headbutted a krogan. Twice!"

A snort made her look down into to stormy blue eyes. "I'm modded enough to not break that easily."

A frown stole across Liara's face, "That may be so, but I would much rather you not test your limits in such a way. Especially after you were so badly injured earlier." She could not help but let the worry she felt color her words.

The girl obviously noticed them as her face went from pale to a deep scarlet in seconds, though she chose to ignore it. "I was fine then. I'm fine now, too."

"If you were 'fine' you would not be saying ouch every couple of seconds."

"Touche."

Liara remained silent, keeping her focus on the jagged wound in front of her. Once the blood was wiped away, and a thick press of gauze taped to her head, Liara let out a sigh. Her fingers carefully traced the tender, grimy skin around the bandage. "Please be more careful," she whispered.

Solemn eyes looked up at her, and she nearly smiled as the girl tilted her head in confusion. However, she knew she could not answer the question that was silently being asked of her, so she gave a small smile and rose to her feet; not looking back, she made her way to Shepard to discuss strategy.

* * *

**Faolan POV:**

_"Why does she care?" _Faolan mused to herself as she looked up into wide blue eyes. But the asari did not elaborate. Instead, she gave her a slight smile before getting up and walking away.

She let out a huff of air as she watched Liara. This was too much. She shouldn't be focusing on the asari.

Giving herself a mental shake, she stood up and moved to where Emil and Mila were sitting.

"Hey, squirt," she laughed as she playfully ruffled Mila's hair. When the girl scowled at her, she stuck out her tongue teasingly.

"Alpha, when are we leaving?"

"Mmmm. Soon, I hope."

"Where are we going to go?"

She leaned back on her hands, letting her head fall back in thought. "I'm not sure, kit. But I do know that Shepard won't abandon us."

"Are you going to tell her?" Emil butted in quietly.

She glanced sharply at where Shepard was standing before turning back to the boy. "I...I'm not sure." She bit her lip in contemplation and ran a hand through her hair. "_I need to cut it,"_ she thought absently as the two younger kids watched her.

"I think I will, but not now. I think we should wait a few days."

As she opened her mouth to elaborate, Shepard called over to them, "Alright, we need to get ready to go."

Saved from having to explain, she hoisted herself up and swung Mila into her arms. They strode over to Shepard quietly, trying to keep their nerves at bay.

The commander smiled at them softly, her green eyes reassuring. "Okay, so, Tali, Liara, and Miranda will be escorting the kids back to the ship." Everyone's head bobbed in understanding. "Grunt, Garrus, and I will accompany you until the path splits the wing. Liara, you're in charge. I want you to stay with the kids and call out formations if you encounter anything. Miranda can scout ahead and Tali will provide her with cover fire if need be. Liara's biotics will keep the kids protected. Tali," she looked at the quarian intently, "I need you to set up a few defensive drones in all the rooms you pass to try and keep Reaper or Cerberus forces from taking them."

"The rest of us are going to come back to this room. Since you brought supplies, and there's still some stores here, we can make camp here tonight. The room is a good defensible position. Tomorrow morning, Jack, Miranda, Tali, Samara, and Vega will meet us here. We can finish cleaning out this base."

Grunt frowned in an almost pouting way, "So we aren't killing anything today?"

Shepard laughed, "Sorry, but tomorrow you'll have more than your fair share of baddies to kill."

* * *

**Faolan POV:**

The trek to the end of the wing was long and uneventful. At every room the stopped so Tali could set up defensive drones while Miranda scouted the room just ahead. Her and the kids stayed in the middle of the group; Shepard and Liara walked ahead of them as Garrus and Grunt trailed behind.

She spent more than half of the walk avoiding Liara's swaying frame right in front of her. However, without her permission, her eyes would find themselves studying her body. "_It's not like she's going to attack me,"_ she chided herself crossly, "_there's no point in studying her musculature or ease of movement. I don't need to keep so tensed." _She nearly panicked when Liara turned and caught hers staring; she realized she was stupidly afraid that she had somehow read her mind. "_I cannot believe I'm contemplating the possibility of her attacking me!"_

She let her eyes fall to the ground. She couldn't look up at those expressive blue eyes. _"I mean, yeah, she moves like a cat. Long strides. Predator sway. Confident steps. But she's actually...caring. Nice. I should _not_ be this watchful or this damn anxious!"_

Her mind racing in a loop, she failed to notice the group stopping until she crashed into Liara's back. She stumbled backwards, but blue hands grasped her shoulders, steadying her. Amused blue eyes made her face ignite.

_"Christ, what is wrong with me?!"_

"Are you okay?"

"M'fine,'' she mumbled, unable to look at her directly.

Shepard smirked, and Liara quirked an eyebrow questioningly. "If you say so, but let me know if you start feeling nauseous. You did obtain several head wounds today."

She nodded, to mortified to say anything.

But she had no problem glaring at Shepard when she snorted back laughter. She folded her arms, glaring at the taller woman who gave her a cheeky grin.

"So," the woman said, her voice serious despite her smile, "I guess this is where we part ways. Make sure you comm me frequently. I won't have any problem catching up if you need help."

"I doubt we will need it," Miranda said, hand on her hip. "Most of the hallways are clear, plus I'm fully charged."

Shepard wrinkled her nose and said exactly what Faolan had been thinking, "Don't jinx yourself, Miri."

The woman rolled her eyes. "Okay, Shepard."

"I am sure we will be fine, commander," Liara cut in, her eyes cutting to Mila who looked like she would start crying again.

"Of course you will!" Shepard said hurriedly, smiling at Mila. "I'm just a worry wart." She leaned over and ruffled Mila's hair. "You keep them in line, Mila."

The little girl nodded and laid her head on Faolan's shoulder. "Kay."

Shepard smiled and patted Emil on the back before catching Faolan's eye. "I'll see you on the Normandy."

Faolan nodded, "Be safe, Commander."

* * *

**A/N: **Ah, teenagers. All those confusing hormones.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: The Medbay

**Liara POV:**

The gentle press of Faolan's arm against hers every now and then was becoming distracting. It was all Liara could do to not glance at her every few minutes. She was, for once, glad for her mother's training in maintaining a calm face despite inner turmoil.

The constant brush definitely counted towards providing inner turmoil.

As they reached a new room, she leaned against the back wall as her companions set about applying their defensive system. It would take a good fifteen minutes as this room was bigger than the previous ones.

"Is she asleep?" Liara murmured quietly to Faolan who stood, in her opinion, too close.

Steady blue-gray eyes looked up at her, making Liara's stomach seem to swoop and fall. "Yes. Poor thing is exhausted."

Liara smiled slightly, "I am sure she is not the only one."

"I suppose Emil must be tired, too."

Mouth quirking at the evasiveness, she raised an eye marking, unable to stop the gentle tease slipping from her mouth, "And you are not? Surely even a….how did you describe yourself? Badass? Yes, even a 'badass' like yourself must be somewhat tired."

She firmly shoved away the warm tingle in her chest as the shorter girl flushed pink. "I'm good."

"So you say, but I am sure Dr. Chakwas will disagree when she sees you."

The grimace that immediately came across the girl's face made her chuckle. "Dr. Chakwas is not that bad. Well, unless she is dealing with Shepard….and you are quite similar to Shepard from what I have seen so far. Maybe you should be worried."

"Greeeeeat. Fantastic. Now I can't wait to get to y'alls ship. Thanks."

"It was my pleasure," she replied serenely, unfazed by the heavy sarcasm. At the dark haired girl's glare, she place a hand over her mouth to hide her smile.

* * *

**Liara POV:**

Stepping briskly across the CIC, Liara ignored the stares from the crew. She tried to keep from tensing, but the distinct feeling of anxiety wafting from Faolan made her want to snap at those who had stopped to watch in curiosity. She repeatedly told herself that warping a crewman into the wall would only attract more attention. Not to mention Joker would bemoan forever any damage done to his ship.

Stealing a glance beside her, she could not help but be impressed with how the young teen was holding up. Her face was completely impassive. Nothing, no tense muscles or jerky movements, betrayed the nerves that Liara could sense. None of the crew seemed to notice either.

Not hesitating in her gait, she smoothly entered the medbay as the doors slid open. She noted that Dr. Chakwas was already next to a few prepped biobeds. Shepard had obviously commed ahead to the woman.

**Dr. Chakwas POV:**

"Ah, hello Liara," Dr. Chakwas said warmly.

The asari smiled back at her, obviously happy to finally be back aboard, "Hello, Dr. Chakwas, it is good to see you."

"And it's good to see you without any battle wounds. Though I do see you have brought me other patients to fuss over," her sharp eyes quickly took in the worse for wear looking children.

The oldest, a girl in her early teens, stood next to Liara. Her back was ramrod straight, shoulders squared and feet shoulder width apart. She kept her muscles loose, as though she were ready to spring into action. Messy dark hair fell over steely blue-gray eyes. The left half of her face was covered in blood stained gauze. As was the top of her head on the right side. Her nose looked like it had been broken and healed incorrectly multiple times.

Behind the girl, stood a slightly shorter boy. His skin was a deep tan, his hair was black and buzzed short. In his arms was a small, pale girl with deep auburn-red hair.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Chakwas, the chief medical officer of the Normandy."

None of the children said anything at first. The girl in front seemed to be studying her intently, though no emotion passed her features. Finally, her soft, slightly high pitched voice answered, "I'm Faolan. He's Emil and the lil one is Mila."

"It's very nice to meet you all," Dr. Chakwas smiled and motioned to the beds. "Would you mind sitting on these? I need to give you all an examination; make sure you are healthy."

Her eyes did not fail to notice how all of them tensed up, the oldest quickly shuffling to more fully cover the two behind her.

Liara slowly stepped in front of them, a frown on her face. "Karin," her voice was low and calm, "they are not very trusting of doctors. The facility scientists were…" her face twisted in disgust but she kept her voice even, "less than kind to them. May I discuss something with you for a moment?"

"Of course,dear," she stepped slowly to the back of the medbay, unwilling to startle the children. She quietly observed Liara turn to the kids, the oldest one visibly relaxing with her farther away. However, she noticed with faint amusement how she tensed, flushed, and averted her eyes as Liara placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

She kept her eyes on the children as Liara walked over to her. They had all crowded around one bed; the little one was on it and being soothed by the older girl.

"Karin," Liara said softly, her voice slightly hesitant.

"Nothing about the children will be shared with anyone except Shepard. Doctor-patient confidentiality."

"The upper brass will want to know."

"The upper brass have more important things to worry about than a few genetically modified children."

"You spoke with Shepard."

"Yes, she commed me about an hour ago. Apparently Grunt and Garrus were getting on her nerves as she would not let them 'turn Reaper scum into skid marks on the walls.' Or that is how I heard Grunt describe it."

Liara let out a short laugh, "She should have known better than to have Grunt camp out overnight in enemy territory without letting him fight something."

"Yes, well, as brilliant a tactician as she can be, she can also be quite dense."

They shared a much needed laugh, letting the tension go in their mirth.

"Ah, yes. Well, let's get on with the business at hand. I would very much like make sure the children are all right."

"Yes," the blue-eyed asari sighed deeply, "though I doubt the children will be very cooperative with you."

Taking a deep breath through her nose, she exhaled slowly. Blue eyes held hers, and sadness seemed to settle over her whole countenance. "The children were not born, they were created. They were trained, beaten, and, from what we can tell, brainwashed. There were several who were murdered by one of their own just last night. He snapped. Faolan killed him after he shot her in the face. She refused medical treatment at first. She wanted to discuss things with Shepard before taking care of herself."

"Sounds like Shepard herself."

A sad smile stole across Liara's face. "Yes, I told her as such. Anyways, Faolan passed out. When she woke up, she seemed more relaxed. Especially around Shepard. As they were trained by Cerberus, I am not surprised at their hesitancy around aliens. But they do not seem hostile, unless threatened. Faolan ended up attacking Grunt after he frightened Mila."

Dr. Chakwas eyes widened in surprise. "She attacked a krogan?"

"Yes," Liara's brow wrinkled in a frustrated frown. "She headbutted him. Twice. And remained standing."

Dr. Chakwas was speechless for several minutes, her mind racing. "That….that is unheard of. A child headbutting a krogan?"

"She was created by Cerberus. I have no doubt they did everything they could to give them an edge over alien species."

"Are you sure they are safe to be on the ship?"

Liara turned away from her, eyes quickly falling on Faolan. Her face softened, blue eyes locked on the girl. "I am sure. I do not think Cerberus's brainwashing has taken effect."

Dr. Chakwas brought a hand to her mouth in thought, keen eyes on Liara. "My dear, is there anything else you wish to discuss?"

Liara's eyes snapped back to hers, a purple flush crawling across her face. "I…..yes, there is, but can we discuss it later?"

Carefully scrutinizing the woman's face, she finally nodded. "We can discuss it as soon as I am finished with the children. Would you like to stay here? The children seem to trust you, and that would be beneficial for the examinations."

* * *

**A/N: **Hello, doctor. How wonderful to see you.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: Examinations

**Dr. Chakwas POV:**

"Alright, dearies, who would like to go first?" Chakwas asked as she neared the children. She watched as the boy, Emil, tensed up; the little girl had buried her head against Faolan's shoulder. Steady blue-gray eyes met hers.

"I will, if you don't mind, doc," the girl said lightly. She hugged Mila reassuringly before extracting herself. She tilted her head at the darker skinned boy, who immediately moved to encircle the child in his arms.

"Fantastic. Can you sit up on this bed for me?"

She pulled her omni-tool screen up as Faolan settled down. Her muscles seemed tense, but her face was blank, though watchful. It did not escape her that Liara had moved to stand by Faolan, her whole body projecting protectiveness.

"_Curious,"_ she thought to herself as she tapped on her keys.

"Okay, Faolan, right?"

A solemn nod answered her.

"How old are you?"

"Twelve years, nine months, 6 days, 11 hours, and 23 seconds," she said without emotion; her eyes seemed to bore into hers.

Chakwas opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. "I-" she hesitated for a second, and widened her eyes in surprise as Liara tugged at a strand of the girl's hair.

The blue skinned woman had her eye marking raised at the girl. Said girl rolled her eyes with a scoff and a slight pout. "I'm twelve, ma'am, and nine months, six days. But I don't know the minutes or seconds."

Chakwas felt a smile tug at her lips as she keyed in the information. _"Quite like Shepard, indeed."_

"And your full name?"

"Officially? E-X-001117. Unofficially, Faolan."

"They did not give you names?"

"Nope. It breeds familiarity."

"How did you come by the name Faolan?"

"I don't see how that is pertinent information."

"Faolan, please," Liara said softly, "Dr. Chakwas needs to know as much about you as possible to-"

"To build a psych profile. To see if I can coexist with normal functioning beings."

Liara blinked, then nodded. "Yes."

The girl let out a puff of breath, not meeting Liara's eyes. Until the older being touched her shoulder gently. "If it helps any, I have already told her I believe you are safe to be around."

"I heard."

This made Liara pause, and then glance at up at her. Chakwas couldn't do more than raise an eyebrow back in acknowledgement.

"Fine," the girl grunted, slightly shaking off Liara's hand. "During team mission training we were allowed to pick code names. As in, regular names for undercover ops. One of the scientists was a bit nicer than the others. He let me read history books that wasn't exactly necessary to my training because he knew I liked learning about mythology and religions. It was kind of like a reward for acing all of my material."

She leaned back on her hands, looking past them at the wall. "Anyways, when I was about seven, I came across the name Faolan and liked the name meaning."

"What does it mean?" Liara asked, her eyes bright with curiosity.

"It means 'little wolf'."

Chakwas felt a full smile cross her face as Liara's creased in confusion as she asked, "What is a wolf?"

"Maybe you two can discuss this after the exam?"Chakwas interrupted swiftly with a smile.

Her smile turned to a smirk as both of them flushed.

She moved closer to start taking scans. "Can you tell me a little bit about your time with Cerberus."

"No….well, not right now," she pitched her voice low enough to make Chakwas lean closer. "I can after you exam the other two and they go to sleep. I don't think they should hear some of it, or, Mila shouldn't."

Chakwas nodded her head in understanding. "Very well, can you explain how you were shot in the face?" She kept her eyes on the girl's cheek, carefully pulling away the gauze.

"One of the kids, Grayson, went off the deep end. Shot me while I was sleeping. And the cut at the top of my head is from headbutting a krogan."

"Mmm, yes, that tends to leave a nice gash on anyone's head." Her fingers gently prodded at the gunshot wound. It looked as though it had been done several days ago rather than just one. "I'm guessing Cerberus enhanced your healing abilities?"

"Yep."

"Interesting. They did not accelerate it as much as they could have."

"No. Pain is apparently a good teacher. They wanted us to feel our beatings. Said if we learned quick enough they'd give us an upgrade on completion of the training."

"That is barbaric," Liara whispered, her eyes full of anger.

Before Chakwas could agree, Faolan reached over to brush her hand against Liara's. From the look on her face, she was as surprised by the gesture as Liara was. "It's okay, Einin. Without that training, I probably wouldn't have survived in the base that long."

Liara's brow furrowed as Chakwas ducked her head; she didn't want them to see the smile fighting to stay on her face.

"Einin?"

"Uh…." Faolan shifted, making Chakwas scold her lightly.

"_Should I help the poor dear?"_ Chakwas mused to herself. _"No, better to study her behavior."_

* * *

**Faolan POV:**

"Er," she ran a hand through her hair, looking everywhere but at Liara. The gray haired woman tending to the cut on her forehead was miserably failing at hiding her smile.

"Well…."

"Faolan."

She glared over the doctor's head as Emil snorted in amusement. "_Traitor," _she groused to herself.

"Einin means….it means 'little bird'."

"Oh, but why…?"

"I," she couldn't fight the fierce blush that raged across her face. "You make me think of a little bird. You're all bright eyed and curious and independent." She paused for a second before blurting out, "And you have a pretty voice."

Once the words were out, she felt the color drain from her face before returning with a vengeance. _"Jesus Christ Almighty! Have I lost my damn mind?!"_

She refused to look in Liara's direction. Instead she glowered at Emil who was hunched over, shoulders shaking in suppressed laughter. Mila had her head tilted in confusion.

A light touch on her shoulder nearly made her turn to the asari, but stubbornness won out at she kept her sight on the nearly crying boy. "It is customary for humans to give nicknames to others, is it not?"

"I…yes?" she chanced a look up into blue eyes that seemed to be smiling at her.

"Then I thank you. It is far more original than the usual 'Blue' that nearly all of the crew calls me."

"…you're welcome?" she looked away again, still fighting the blush on her face.

"I will need you to remove your shirt," the doctor, finally taking mercy on her, spoke up.

With a jerky nod, she grabbed the hem and pulled it over her head, ignoring the sharp intake of breath from Liara.

"Not a pretty sight, I know."

The doctor's cool fingers moved to a scar on her arm. "I need to know how you got all of these," her voice was laced with sympathy.

"On my left shoulder, I got snagged by a turian. Those on my inner forearm are from injections the scientists gave me. There, near my wrist, is where an asari snapped it and the bone came through. On my right, those gashes are from a serrated knife a batarian used on me. They wanted to see how long I lasted under interrogation. This one," she pointed to a long, thin scar across her chest," is where they tested a different knife in the same interrogation. On my stomach is where an asari impaled me on a piece of protruding rebar pipe. That puncture wound is where they had to drain liquid from my lungs after being pounded on by an elcor. I have a few on my legs from various knife wounds. A couple of gunshot wounds, too."

She felt Liara's warm fingers brush her ear gently, and she unconsciously leaned into the touch. "I'm okay, though. No lasting harm, Einin."

The asari didn't answer. They could all feel the warring anger and protectiveness radiating off of her.

Chakwas waited a few minutes before asking, "Can you tell me about your genetic enhancements?" Faolan gave her credit for not letting her voice waver.

"Well, I don't know much. Just what I read in my file after the base went to shit. I have enhanced vision, sense of smell, and hearing. My bones were reinforced. Accelerated healing. Synthetic skin weave. Auto-immune boosters. My neural pathways were messed with to allow for faster reaction time. Lactic acid production was slowed for more stamina."

"Any behavioral modifications?"

She didn't answer right away. She debated on how much to tell. The tender hand playing with her hair made up her mind. "Yes. Technically speaking, I only have one genetic donor."

Chakwas looked up at her sharply. "You mean….you are a clone?"

Faolan ignored Liara's noise of surprise. "Yes. Or that's how I started at least. They grew me in a tube. At six months of age they injected me with a cocktail of drugs and animal dna. They were trying to get it to bind with my dna. It worked. I was the first successful subject to bond with the new dna introduced. It ended up changing my appearance so I no longer resemble the original donor. It's also what enhanced my senses. It gave me a more base animal instinct as well. A lot of those beatings were used to teach me to temper it." She scratched at her ear as she watched Chakwas face for a hint of what she was thinking.

"I'm guessing it was a wolf they used?"

She wrinkled her nose playfully, ear twitching in amusement. "How did you ever guess?"

The doctor gave a slight chuckle. "It explains a good bit about your behavior."

"I guess." She shrugged her shoulders. "Now that you know, I might as well tell you about Emil and Mila. The boy bonded with panther dna. And Mila with fox."

"Do you know who the donor is?"

"I have a guess. The scientists told us, but I didn't trust their word. Apparently Mila and I have the same donor. Emil's donor was different. I do know that we all supposedly come from Alliance soldiers."

Liara spoke up thoughtfully, "That makes sense. They did start off as part of the Alliance with access to the files. It would have been easy to obtain dna. And since they are trying to create perfect soldiers, why not start with the dna of soldiers?" Her blue eyes were unfocused as she bit her lip in thought. "I doubt this facility was the only one attempting this."

"I agree," Chakwas said quietly. "We will need to inform the commander when she returns."

Faolan grunted slightly. "Any other questions?"

"Not right now, no. But I will need to take a blood sample and compare it to the Alliance database."

She held out her arm with a resigned sigh,"Go ahead."

* * *

**A/N: **So, the correct pronunciation of the Irish name Faolan is FEE-lin. However, since the book did not have a pronunciation guide, Faolan pronounces it as FAY-lun. And yes, it really does mean 'little wolf'. :)

Einin is suppose to be pronounce AIN-een.

The story doesn't really need Emil or Mila's name meanings, but here they are. Emil means rival and Mila means gracious or dear.


End file.
